"2 losses, 23 points, and 8 assists combined" - Kevin Wildes' damning assessment of 12-time All Star's shockingly bad performances in playoffs, compares his failures and criticism to James Harden
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul was on the receiving end of some harsh criticism as Kevin Wildes of First Things First made a comparison between Paul and Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden.
While Harden also got bounced in the second-round of the 2022 NBA playoffs, he caught a lot of flak for his atrocious performance during the tail end of the series against the Miami Heat.
Recording 25 points and 13 assists combined over the last two losses, James Harden received all kinds of flack for his display.
However, Wildes drew attention towards Chris Paul's performance after the Phoenix Suns were blown out by the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.
Harden got roasted for his recent performance:
2 losses, 25 points, 13 assists, combined.
CP3 just went for:
2 losses, 23 points and 8 assists combined
"Harden got roasted for his recent performance: 2 losses, 25 points, 13 assists, combined. CP3 just went for: 2 losses, 23 points and 8 assists combined."
Facing a 123-90 loss at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7, Kevin Wildes took off on Paul for his dismal performances this series.
Considering the amount of negative press James Harden received, the stats support the fact that Paul had a far worse display in the elimination game. Additionally, this is far from being a one-off.
Harden was eviscerated for shooting only nine shots in Game 6. However, Paul attempted only eight for the entirety of Game 7. To make matters worse, Paul started the game 0-4 in the first-half and only notched his first field-goal in the third-quarter.
Paul ended the game with 10 points, four assists and one rebound. When compared to Harden's 11 points, four rebounds, and nine assists in Game 6, as pointed out by Kevin Wildes, the 76ers guard had a slightly better showing.
With Paul's combined record over the last two games being additionally charged with a +/- of -39 in Game 7, the 37-year old found the NBA title eluding him yet again.
Chris Paul finished with a +/- of -39, the worst in his NBA career, regular season or playoffs. https://t.co/n8pN6saC8I
Kevin Wildes' take on Chris Paul holds true for the series
It is no secret that Chris Paul struggled in these playoffs. While the first two wins of the Western Conference semis saw the Suns guard in peak form, the following games were anything but characteristic.
The dropoff in output was staggering. Although fans expected Paul to return to form after a horror showing as he fouled out in Game 4, the 37-year old looked haggard after his seven-point scoring night in Game 5 as well.
Following it up with a 13-point outing in a loss in Game 6, he continued to come up short in Game 7.
Chris Paul since the suns went up 2-0 vs the Mavs
8.0 PPG
7.0 AST
4.3 TOV
4.0 Personal Fouls
1-2 Record
Doing his best to blow another 2-0 lead 🔥 https://t.co/kjPpy7HfbU
Comparing Harden to Paul is a bit skewed as the former is five years younger. However, among other things, the narrative surrounding Paul's longevity will definitely take a hit as the star point guard ducks out of the playoffs.
Chris Paul should be catching all the same slander as James Harden.